Name and number sign



Jan. 13, 1959 CUTLER NAME AND NUMBER SIGN Filed March 16, 1956 INVENTOR.NORMAN CUTLER BY z ' ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 2,867,926Patented Jan. 13, 1959 NAME AND NUMBER SIGN Norman Cutler, Philadelphia,Pa., assignor to Royal Factories, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporationof Pennsylvam'a Application March 16, 1956, Serial No. 571,909

1 Claim. 01. 40-140 My invention relates to a sign and, moreparticularly, relates to a sign for displaying the number of a house orthe name of its occupant.

The signs which have hitherto been manufactured and sold for the purposehave been characterized by poor legibility because of theirconstruction, and also by difficulty in assembling the particularletters and numbers upon the supporting plate or bracket. Furthermore,the manner in which the prior display signs were assembled did not lenditself to variable mounting conditions because of the orientation of thewall or shelf to which the signs were attached.

It, therefore, is an object of my invention to provide aninterchangeable name and number sign which may be conveniently orientedin a plurality of mounting positions.

Another object of my invention is to provide a display sign in which allof the letters or numbers are rigidly held and neatly aligned at alltimes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a display sign whosecomponent parts may be readily assembled by a person who possesses aminimum of mechanical skill.

Another object of my invention is to provide a display sign wherein theindividual letters and numbers are rapidly secured in position by a pairof end plates, thereby eliminating permanent attaching of eachindividual character by itself.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of thecharacter described, that is easily and economically produced, which issturdy in construction, and Which is highly eificient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in thedetails of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fullyunderstood from the following description when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display sign embodying my inventionmounted upon a house in two possible conditions of orientation.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view, partly in cutaway, showing themanner in which the display sign is assembled for a horizontal supportwall and held in position by end plates.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a modification of the endplates.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another end plate modification showinghow the display sign may be assembled for securing to a vertical wall.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front view of another bracket modification showing thedisplay sign mounted within an ornamental grill.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, wherein similarreference characters refer to similar parts, I show a display signembodying my invention comprising a carrier plate, generally designatedas A, a plurality of number and letter characters to be supportedtherein, each designated as B, and end brackets, generally designated asC.

The carrier frame A is preferably extruded in a square configurationhaving a vertical slot 12 longitudinally extending through the entirelength of the frame. The vertical slot 12 extends downwardly from theupper exterior surface of the carrier frame and the walls of thevertical slot provide support and alignment for the characters B whichare slidably supported therein. A horizontal groove 14 is alsolongitudinally extruded within the frame A and interiorly intersects thevertical slot 12 at right angles to define a guide rail on either sidethereof. This slot 14 is used in maintaining the characters B securefrom being removed from the display sign as will be described presently.

The characters B are integrally cast with a base 20 from which extends aplurality of lugs 22 on either side thereof. The base 20 of eachcharacter B is slidably supported within the vertical slot 12 while thelugs 22 are slidably projected within the guide rails 14. It is to benoted that the characters B are secure from removal at any intermediateportion of the frame A and can only be mounted and released from eitherend. It is to be further noted that the base 20 is retained below theupper surface of the frame A while the letters or numerals projectvisibly above. Thus, where it is desirable to separate the characters Bfrom each or from the end of the frame, a base 20 alone, without anupper projecting number or letter, is used as a spacer.

Each of the end brackets C comprises a cap 24 extending at right anglesto a mounting leg 26. The cap leg 24 has a square notch 28 whose wallsare adapted to snugly interfit about the ends of the carrier frame A.Since both the cross section of the ends of the carrier frame A and thenotch 28 are square, it is easily seen that the end brackets may berotated at intervals whereby the leg 26 may be placed flush against ahorizontal or vertical surface while the characters B are vertical. Amounting hole 30 is provided in the mounting leg 26 for screwing orpinning the sign to a wall.

In order to assemble the display sign, it is merely necessary to slidethe appropriate characters and spacers within the horizontal andvertical slots. The end brackets C are then placed over the ends of thecarrier frame A and the entire sign and its characters are lockedsecurely in position by mounting the end brackets C to a vertical wallor horizontal surface.

In Fig. 3, I show an end bracket modification C1 Wherein a cross-likeprojection 32 extends from the face of a cap leg 34. The cross-likeprojection interfits within the intersecting vertical and horizontalslots 12 and 14 at the ends of the carrier plate A. It is to be notedthat the width of the vertical and horizontal slots is the same wherebythe end brackets C1 may be rotated at 90 intervals within the slots inorder to mount the,sign upon a vertical or horizontal wall.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I show an end bracket modification C2 wherein anL-shaped projection 36 extends from the face of a cap leg 38. While theend bracket C2 is shown with its mounting leg adapted to be afiixed to avertical wall, the L-shaped projection 36 and the entire end bracket maybe rotated at 90 intervals for supporting upon a horizontal shelf.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I show another modification wherein the carrier plateA is mounted within a grill type bracket C3.

Since the various components of the sign have no securing nuts orscrews, the sign is easily assembled and has a neat workmanlikeappearance when completed.

l The material of which the parts embodying my inventiontmay be made of.aluminum, copper, steel, or plastic. Although my invention has beendescribed in considerable detail, such description'is intended as beingillustrati ve rather than limiting,- since the invention. may bevariously embodied, andthe scope of the invention isto be determinedasclaimedv I claim as my invention:

A name and number display sign comprising a carrier frame of squarecross-section, a plurality of fiat metal letter and numericalcharacters, and. a pair of end brackets, said end brackets having asquare periphery registcring with the periphery of said carrier frameand being detachably secured to the ends thereof in flush abuttingengagement therewith, a slot rectangular in' cross-section projectinginto said frame and longitudinally extending across one surface thereof,an interior groove rectangular in cross-section longitudinally extendingwithin said carrier frame and intersecting at right angles to the slot,said metal characters each having a flat base portion with a pluralityof lugs projecting outwardly from each side thereof and at right anglesthereto, said base being slidably supported in the slot, and said lugsbeing slidably supported in said groove, a centrally disposed projectionextending from one face of each of said brackets and having across-section complementary with the intersecting slot and groove, amounting leg with an aperture therein on each of said brackets, saidbrackets being secured upon a surface with the projections abutting therespective first and last character at the base portion thereof wherebyany desired orientation of the characters is afforded at 90 intervals,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,239,983 Thuncll Sept. 11, 1917 1,346,810 Decker July 20, 19201,347,452 Franzen July 20, 1920 2,150,748 Pearson Mar. 14, 19392,222,951 Krueger Nov. 26, 1940 2,371,109 Sanford Mar. 6, 1945 2,455,606Pleiss Dec. 7, 1948 2,467,825, Hall Apr. 19, 1949 2,699,903 MontgomeryJan. 18, 1955 2,707,595 Brown May 3, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 290,462Switzerland Aug. 10, 1953 968,289 France Apr. 12, 1950

